Burner for liquid fuel



Sept. 2, 1941- J. L. BREESE 2,254,930

BURNER FOR LIQUID FUEL Filed Sept. ll, 1937 2 4 fr i ,/MIIWH. W. L

directing a cooling flow grammatically in wherein:

` channel i@ is the inner drum 2| Patented sept. 2, 1941 2,254,930 v BURNER Fon-'LIQUID FUEL .lames L. Breese, Santa F e, N. Mex., assigner to Oil Devices, Santa Fe, N. Mex., a limited partnership of Illinois Application September 11, 1937, Serial No. l63,371

(ci. 15s-91) 3 Claims. My invention relates to a heating device or burner and is applicable to burners for liquid hydrocarbons.

One purpose is the provision of means for controlling the temperature of the bottom of a socalled pot type hydrocarbon burner in which a liquid hydrocarbon is delivered to a mixing chamber having apertured walls and is there mixed with air, combustion taking place above or in the upper portion of the chamber.

Another purpose is the provision of means for of air against a portion r wall of such a chamber.

Another purpose is the provision of means for ntrolling the ow of the cooling air and for conditions at the bottom of the pot or chamber.

jOther purposes will appear from time to time in the course of the speciiication andwclaims.

' I illustrate my invention more orv less diathe accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a vertical section; vand Figure 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Figure l.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the speciilcation and drawing.

Referring to the drawing, 2 are angle iron frame members herein shown as forming a, square or rectangle with the supporting legs 3 at the corners. The frame members 2 support an outer casing l. 4 are transverse supporting members upon which is seated the burner proper which in the particular form herein shown`includes a base member generally indicated as 5. The base member has a more or less concave bottom portion -6 surrounded by the cylindrical upwardly projecting wall 1 from which outwardly projects the circumferential flange 8. 9 is a centering flange upwardly projecting from the flange 8. The upper edge of the wall 1 is cireumferentially channeled as at I 0.

indicates a lower closure member or shield spaced beneath the burner base member `and supported by any' suitable means. It is centrally apertured as at I4 aboutthe lower enlargement or fuel inlet I5 of the base 5 to which is connected the fuel line inlet pipe I6. The circumferential flange 5 is provided with air inlet apertures I1. Mounted on the flange 8 and centeredby the ange 9 is the outer drum A20. Seated in the which ,is provided with a number of primary air apertures 22 and hasabout its upper edge a 8 of the burner member u single row of tom upwardly and inwardly inclined secondary air apertures 23, hereinshown as of greater diameter`than the primary air apertures. Seated on the upper edge of the drum 2| and extending outwardly over the upper edge of the drum 2| is the closure ring 24 with the lower centering flange 25 and the upper centeringiange- 26. Positioned thereupon and centered bylthe ilange 26 is the upper drum 21 which forms a combustion .and radiation chamber.

'I'he particular unit herein shown is a circulating heater although my invention may be employed with other heaters. I illustrate as mounted on the channels 2 an outer housing formed of metal sheets I may employ any suitable means to supply fuel to the bottom portion 6 of the burner, the fuel being supplied for examlple along the line or fuel inlet pipe I6.

In the use of my device, air admitted through the aperture I4 hows directly against the botof the member 6 and has a cooling effect. The greater the circulation of air against the bottom of the burner the cooler the bottom becomes. In order to vary the temperature on the bottom of the burner I provide means for increasingor decreasing the size of the air inlet I4.

`I illustrate a pair of invention. I therefore overlapping slide valve members 50, 5|, each being actuated by a rod 52 passing through a guiding eye 53 and having an exterior manually controlled end or handle 54. The members and 5| have their opposed edges indented as at'55, 56 whereby as they are moved toward or away from each other a central aperture 51 is formed of controllable diameter. When the members 5|l and 5| are thrust as close as possible together, the aperture 51 is almost en.

tirely occupied by the fuel inlet pipe I6 and there is but very slight space for air. When they are withdrawn from each other a maximum possible distance the entire aperttre I4 'is exposed.

It will be realized that whereas I haveI described and shown a practical and operative device, nevertheless lmany changes may be made.

in the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my with my description and drawing to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic rather than as limiting me to my precise showing.

It will be understood that in addition tc the f specific details involved, what is of primary importance in my invention is the fact that I control the temperature of the mixing chamber wall or bottom 5 by controlling the now of cooling air thereagainst. This is of practical importance .the liquid hydrocarbon.

for example in controlling the capacity of the stove when employing av given grade of fuel. If the cooling effect o f the air is reduced, the decrease of the coolingeiect causes the bottom member i to become hotter. This in turn causes a greater vaporization of the liquid hydrocarbon and a greater capacity or heating effect for the unit. Thus the heating eiiectcan be to some extent varied by varying the temperature of the mixing chamber or a portion" of the wall thereof.

A further point of utility where the user wishes to burn a lower4 grade of oil he can do so by diminishing the ,cooling ef g fect of air and thereby increasing'the temperature ofthe member 6. Thusin practice I'flnd that controlling and varying. the cooling .eect of theair current renders my.,unit. more flexible both inv the -range 'of fuel it can operate' upon.,

and in the capacity of the unit when operating upona given fuel:

In .the operation of thedevice, it will be understood thatthevolume-of air which actually passes through the. burner or mixing chamber itself is controlled by the cross sectional area of the primary and 'secondary apertures 22 and 23. Theair passage 'to the burner is unrestricted and it isgthe total area of the primary and' secpndary apertures which meters the air. It` is characteristic o fmy invention, however; that some or allof the air supplied to the burner is also-employed to vary the temperature of the burnerchamber itself Vand particularly of, the

`burner bottom -in such.fashion as to vary the rate -of evaporation or vaporization of the liquid hydrocarbon. f v

IIn considering the aperture I4 as the means for a flow -of air against tha-burner or rests in me fact that the amount of air that will normally pass through the primary and secondary air apertures 22 and 23. In effect what I do is to vary the scrubbing or cooling effect of the air current which iiows directly across the lower surface of themember B; As the aperture is restricted the il'ow and scrubbing effect increase across the face ofthe member 6. As the aperture is increased in cross sectional area, the Speed of flow across the surface 6 itself is lowered and the scrubbing eifect is decreased without, however, varying or changing the supply of air to the burner itself;

It will be understood, of course, that in practice there is an ascertainable minimum closure 'which varies with the size and shape of'the particular unit involved.

1. In a hydrocarbon burner, a mixing chamber, means for delivering a liquid hydrocarbon to the interior-thereof; means for'jdelivering a stream of air-upwardlyagainst the bottom of said mixing chamber generally along the central axis of said mixing chamber, and ,means for varying thev cooling eiectaof said stream -of air, including means for. varying;.the'speedof movement of the air as itpasses across the bottom of said mixing chamber.

2. In a heater, a 'mixing chamber having a bottom portion and a side portion', the -side portion having formed therein aplurality of air apertures, a housing surroundingsaid ,mixing chamber, the interior of said housing 'being in communication with said' air apertures; means for delivering liquid f uel to theupper face-of said bottom portion, and meanslfondelivering air to the interiorof-said lhousing,-incluciing'a.

passage member adaptedv to-deliver air .against mixing chamber ,bottom 6, it will be understood that 'if-.themole IA were as large as or larger than `the diameter of -the burner, the air supply for the burner wouldA pass. vthrough this large, hole andup. through the apertures Pll without having any substantial cooling -eil'ect on the bot-3 tom 6;- ThereforeJ employan aperture of somewhat smal1er.diameter than the burner Iitself and in this aperture I place the valve means shown and ,described above. As the aperture is ,gradually decreased in its cross-sectional area,A

more and more, air forced to pass rapidly over the. bottom of the burner. This rapid flow of air r,has a scrubbing. eii'ect and tends` to carry away lmore and,more heat. The greater the scrubbing effect, the lower the heat of the mem; berA 6 and the lower the .rateof evaporationofj However, the aperture l! is of such-size and the valve members are so `proportioned that the valve members 50, 5I of Figure 2 never restrict the lower face of thebottornA portion-ofthe. mixing chamber, said passage memberbeing-alined with the center.. of the mixing chamber., and means for varying thecross sectionaharea oi said passage member while maintaining it substantially concentric withlthe center of the mixing chamber.

3. In a hydrocarbon burner, a chamber, means for supplying .liquid hydrocarbon .to the interior thereof, a housing enclosing .the {chamben an aperture in the housing wall whose axis is intersectedv by the wall of the chamber, .means for positively controlling the effective aperture .to control the, iiow of` air linwardly therethrough, the distance between' the .aperturned wall of the hou,sing and.l thefunderside of the mixing chamber wall being such'that the chamber wall, directly receives thejfulll force of the jet of air entering through the aperture immediatelyinline therewith.n l

' JAMES L. BREESE.

area ',of the 

